Thursday, December 18, 2014

Belk Bowl - Grantham, Chubb and motivation

Belk Bowl

No. 13 Georgia vs. No. 21 Louisville, Dec. 30 (ESPN, 6:30 p.m. ET)

Why to watch: There's some lingering bad blood between the coaching staffs. Louisville defensive coordinator Todd Grantham left Georgia last season, and then took some veiled shots at his former colleagues on his way out the door. Plus, Louisville's Bobby Petrino, a former Atlanta Falcons coach, still isn't the most popular guy in Georgia.

Who to watch: Georgia freshman Nick Chubb ran for 1,281 yards with 12 touchdowns, with much of his damage coming after UGA star Todd Gurley was suspended for accepting money for autographs. Chubb ran for more than 100 yards in each of the last seven games, averaging 151 yards during the stretch.

Motivation for Georgia: After losing to rival Georgia Tech 30-24 in overtime in the regular-season finale, the Bulldogs will be trying to avoid a two-game losing streak to ACC foes. Georgia also hasn't played well in the postseason recently, losing three of its past four bowl games.

Motivation for Louisville: By beating Georgia, the Cardinals would win 10 games and their third straight bowl game, which would put the icing on their first season in the ACC.

Prediction: Georgia 31, Louisville 27

Sure, Grantham is the sexy thread that will easily feed the storyline. And Chubb's production his freshman season is worth every word it can garner. But the motivation of the two teams is what is key, for any bowl really.

So, does Georgia or Louisville want a ten win season more? Who is more vested in that outcome?

Bernie's Dawg Blawg is not affiliated with the University of Georgia or any other institution or organization. It's use is meant solely for your utter boredom as well as a complement to your working knowledge of all things DAWG.